Huntsville gazette., 1887-11-26

trife odd, friendly acquaintance was
founded, and Ronald Grey grew to be
a constant visitor at Mrs. Chatham's
pension.
She took a strong interest in his
book, stronger, he some times thought,
than in himself, and he never took the
trouble to inform her that she had Just
attracted him as study" and that
her lissome figure and peculiar, low
toned voice were graeing his favorite
heroine.
When they first spoke of his pur-
suits, she was startled, and exclaimed
| quickly: You writep But is it pos
sible, can you be MI. Grey, Ronald
Grey, the authorP"
.'The very same" he said, smiling
"Then | think | know your name
quite well," she said, slow flush ris-
ing as she spoke. And then light
broke on Mr.. Grey ignorance, and he
began:
''Can it be that you"
YES she interrupted, quietly, Il
am Mabel Chatham, Mrs. Thomas
Chatham, as 1 fancy you did not sus-
pect."
Now, Ronald Grey lived ''out of the
world" or that small part of it which
we thus designate, and in sphere
made up of small element of literary
Bohemia and large element of his
own idea; so that Tom Chatham's do
mestic trials were unknown to him,
and only rumor reached him that all
was not rs it should be in the Chatham
household. Now he thought he saw a
great many things in moment, and
he stammered and looked creditably
confused as he tried to pass it off easily,
and remarked:
II am so pleased, Mrs Chatham.
Tom is my Oldest friend, you know,
though have not seen him in years,
and don't hear much Of him. Why, it
must be a long time since I last saw
him.
81 haven't seen him in quite awhile
myself" remarked Mrs Chatham, a
little dryly. Then, clasping her hands
and leaning forward, she looked rather
fixedly at Mr.. Grey.
81 suppose you have heard various
things about u.s." she said, ''and it
certainly is evident that l am living
here alone. So if-that is-if you pre-
fer not to be-nOt to continue your
kindness to Mrs. Thomas Chatham,
under the circumstances, please be-
lieve you must do quite as you wish,
being my husbands oldest friend, you
know"
1T may have been the tone that
piqued him, or the effect of the scarcely
perceptible softening on the last words,
but certainly he had no desire to dis
continue his acquaintance with Mrs.
Chatham.
Il should hope you were not quite in
earnest in expecting me to change my
wishes 50 lightly" he replied. II
think | was telling you only an hour
ago that | wanted to try and see some
thing of you while at this place, and |
also believe you know me to be man
Of some decision. In fact, I am some
times described as obstinate.h
So he saw her every day, and he
studied her every time he saw her,
and his story grew towards completion.
Often he wondered why she was living
in this way, but luckily his heroine had
no matrimonial difficulties, as her
tribulations all came before her mar
riage; so he had no need to solve his
problem in his ''study's" character.
And yet he wasted his time in thinking
of it.
One day, to his surprise, he received
a letter from Tom Chatham:
"DEAR RONALD: have just found out where
| you are buried My intention was to write you
some time since, for / think our correspondence
\ might be better sustained. For man who
makes writing his business, you do about as
| little, gratuitouslY as any one | ever knew.
don't intend to bore you much about my own
affairs; suppose you have heard Of them and
| there they rest But by the way, if you should
| happen to see Mrs. Chatham at your bdinS de
Daer | should rather like some news Of her.
She may possibly go there in the course Of
the summer. You would be doing me q ser
AT this point Ronald dropped the
letter, looked at his watch, and seeing
it was time for drive he had planned
with his ''study," thrust the unfinished
letter into his pocket and departed.
Either the pocket was shallow or
else there is a fate in these matters, for
in the course of the afternoon, as he
searched in his pocket for q piece Of
manuscript, out came Tola Chatham's S
letter. A quick little. exclamation
made him look up. Mrs. Chatham had
turned white, but she managed to look
tolerably unconcerned as she said:
Wasn't that Mr.. Chatham's hand
writing? | thought | recognized it. |
hope he is we'll"
She spoke trif1e hurriedly, and
Grey was pleased to note that her tone
was just what he had described his
heroine as using under trying circum-
stances.
'Quite well, fancy. The truth is,
/ have not finished reading the letter "
do so now," she said, impulsively;